Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation

This report, produced by the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative (a partnership between UNDP, UNEP, and OSCE), assesses the linkages between environmental stress and human security in the Southern Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia). It identifies how environmental degradation, natural hazards, and Soviet-era industrial legacies can exacerbate social tensions and conflict, while proposing that technical environmental cooperation can serve as a tool for peace-building and regional stability.

• The ENVSEC Initiative identifies three primary linkages between environmental stress and social tension in the Southern Caucasus: environmental degradation and resource access in conflict zones, the management of cross-border concerns (water, hazards, and military legacies), and rapid population growth in capital cities.
• In conflict-affected areas such as Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh, environmental degradation and the lack of independent monitoring allow the extraction of natural resources to be politicized, potentially deepening existing contentions.
• The Kura-Araks/Araz river system is a critical fresh water source for the region, with Azerbaijan being particularly dependent on it for potable water and irrigation for over half its population, making shared management a fundamental security issue.
• The Medzamor nuclear power plant in Armenia is a significant point of international and regional security concern; while it provides 36% of Armenia's electricity, its safety is a priority for neighboring states.
• Soviet-era industrial and military legacies continue to cause widespread pollution across the region. In Georgia, approximately 300 former military facilities were established during the Soviet period, some of which were abandoned without being secured, leading to radiation exposure and mine injuries among local populations.
• Rapid, unmanaged urban growth in the capital cities of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia is outpacing infrastructure for water, sewage, and waste management, creating health risks and potential for social frustration among migrants and refugees.
• Armenia has experienced significant deforestation, with forest cover decreasing from 13% to 8% over a decade, driven by the need for heating fuel during energy crises and illegal timber exports.
• Azerbaijan's economy is heavily dependent on oil, which the report warns could become a 'resource curse' if revenues are not used to diversify other economic sectors and modernize waste-processing technologies.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2004). Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/envsec_transforming_risk_en.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation. 2004. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/envsec_transforming_risk_en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation |date=2004 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/envsec_transforming_risk_en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2004environment, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2004}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/envsec_transforming_risk_en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }